In previous days of the Internet it would be called Real Time Chat but there is a difference.
Social Media these days although real time is not Real Time Chat.
In Fact very rarely do I see RTC used instead it appears to have been replaced with Short timely messages from Twitter and Face Book or the use of forums which although can be real time are often delayed due to when someone wants to respond or finds it convient to respond.
As I watched the Police Chat unfold and I have been viewing for a few weeks now. What concerned me is that it appeared IMHO to be Police Staff chatting or tweeting each other, staying close and discussing the way forward with each other but perhaps not engaging as they should with the outsiders or the General Public.
If the whole aim of using Social Media is to engage with the General Public then I don't think Social Media is working.
If the aim is to Inform the general public then I think it can work.
It shouldn't be all about what the police have done well. It should also be about asking for help ie Car Stolen have you seen it. Missing Person have you seen them, Short timely messages and alerts
I think one of the big problems is that there are so many Social Media outlets knowing which one to turn to as a member of the public is difficult.
The other thing that is really confusing is that each Police Force use different methods. If as I do you live in a county that borders 3 Police Forces. I have one activley participating and updating Tweet. I have one that only appears to concentrate on the Heart of the County which hardly helps me who is on the outskirts and one I have not seen hide nor hare of.
I think in the first instance Social Media should be used to give short timely updates.
Such as! Have you seen XYZ can you help?call us on XYZ!
Like the General Public at large it would be daft if the Police ignored what I now know as Hyper Local sites but it is a matter of finding trusted sites,blogs.
That goes for anything on the web and I suppose in Police Language Trusted Sources. Just like they do it Off line they should be able to do it on line. They guage the value of the information.
As for tweeting during meetings how bloody rude and unprofessional. If meetings are for Public Consumption just Webcast it live. That way people in charge become accountable for what they say and members of the public are in the position to view and ask questions.
There is a place for Social Media use by authorities in our Society but it must be used properly and consistently and it shouldn't be one or two Police Forces it should be all of them. Doing it the same way. That way people know what to expect and the Authorities know what to expect from their followers.
The Key is Consistant Clear communication and not mixed messages.
As for how to measure Social Media and its success or failure in the Police Case it is all about Outcomes
Have they prevented a crime as a direct result of Social Media
Have they Caught the baddies as a result of Social Media